Devon farmer Colin Abel faces £500k loss after 4,500 sheep are stolen. Police suspect involvement from farming community.
Colin Abel runs a farm in Tavistock, Devon. He calls Dartmoor the “Wild West” now. Sheep theft is a big problem there. Each stolen ewe is worth around £120.
Abel lost another 400 sheep this winter. This hits him very hard. Sheep have grazed on Dartmoor for centuries.
The area now has lots of animal theft, making it one of the worst in the country. The stolen sheep are likely sold on the black market. They’re sold as meat. No one has been prosecuted for sheep theft in five years.
Abel feels like it’s the Wild West because sheep crime has gotten so bad. He says it hurts his business and his soul. Some farmers might quit.
He stopped telling his insurance company about the thefts, because high premiums worried him. He keeps his sheep on the moor most of the year, which makes them vulnerable. Devon and Cornwall Police face challenges.
Dartmoor is remote, which makes policing difficult. Abel used satellite trackers on some sheep, but it is too costly for his whole flock since he owns 4,500 sheep.
PC Julian Fry works for the police. He believes farmers are involved, because they have the knowledge to steal. To steal animals, you must know livestock and also need connections to sell them. It is a sad situation.
PC Fry knows the farming community. He said police work with farmers and with abattoirs. They gather information and use tactics.
He promised they take every theft report seriously. They want solutions to stop it and hope sheep theft will end.